Maybe you’ve seen it? The flamingo? The bird statue advertising the Flamingo Resort & Spaat Fourth and Farmer’s Lane? The City of Santa Rosa designated the sign a historic landmark in 1997. It’s a cool relic of a 1950s California aesthetic. Lots of locals know the sign, but have they stopped by to see the hotel underneath? After decades of decline the property was renovated. It is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2025, the 170-room resort hotel joined Hilton’s Tapestry Collection of boutique properties.
The sign, there since 1957, can lead one to think two things: 1) this property is going to be a doozy—not in a good way, or 2) this property might be worth seeing. Thankfully, “2” is now correct. The property was run-down. It lacked seismic reinforcements. Owners turned rooms into low-rent apartments. However, a $20 million renovation upgraded all aspects of the property, except the sign, and restored a bougie pool-and-spa ambiance with postmodern aesthetics. The old nightclub with live music was retained and the food-and-beverage program underwent a major upgrade. The Lazeaway Club’s poolside dining is now run by executive chef Chris Ricketts and food & beverage manager Sam Levy. Ricketts brings Michelin-star experience from Lord Stanley and Manresa restaurants in San Francisco and Los Gatos, while Levy kicks up the cocktail-and-event-services game leaning into his Meadowood and Fern Bar management and partner experiences. Check it out. Sit poolside. Try the seared salmon, coconut soup with exotic mushrooms. Robe up and take a meeting like a wannabe Hollywood mogul.
FUN FACTS: Hugh Codding, of Coddingtown mall and Montgomery Village, developed the Flamingo resort. Built in 1957, it was designed by Chicago architect Homer Rissman. Rissman studied under Mies van der Rohe. He is credited with resort hotel designs that define Vegas properties. Rissman’s most known works are: the Hacienda in Vegas, the Flamingo in Santa Rosa and the Riviera in Palm Springs.
Flamingos get their pink color from beta-carotene in both animal (shrimp) and plant (carrot-like) food. Their livers break down pigments which enter the bloodstream and new feathers, turning the birds from gray to pink. Carotenoid intensity determines pink or red. A flamingo group is called a flamboyance.
The Flamingos were a doo-wop group flamboyance. Their 1959 song, “I Only Have Eyes for You,” was a sensation. Rolling Stone magazine rates it 158 on their list of “500 Greatest Songs of All Time.” They were among the first group with synchronized and stylized choreography. Sha-bop, sha-bop. IYKYK.
